Requirements

Thirty-six hours of graduate study. A minimum of eighteen of those hours, exclusive of thesis credits, must be in courses at the 5000-level. For information on transferring graduate credit from an accredited university or college, see the section on transfer credit in the General Degree Requirements Section in the front of the catalog. The M.A. in political science is not an independent degree, but is ordinarily awarded only to students enrolled in the Ph.D. program upon completion of the course requirements here described.

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
Distribution Requirements
Students select a primary and secondary field from the following three fields:
Political philosophy/political theory
American politics/constitutional law
International Relations/Comparative politics
Primary field requirement		9
Secondary field requirement		6
Third field requirement		3
Elective Courses
Students will choose four additional graduate courses from the Political Science department’s remaining 4000 and 5000-level courses to make up a program of study of at least 30 hours. With the approval of the Graduate Program Director, students may take up to six elective hours outside of the Political Science department. These hours must be at the 4000-level or higher.		12
Writing and Special Study Options
The Master of Arts degree in political science may be earned in two ways. After consultation with the Graduate Program Director, all students will choose one of the following:		6
Thesis program: Students who elect to write a thesis are required to complete six semester hours of thesis credit including an oral defense of the project.
Non-thesis program: Students may elect to take six additional hours of graduate level course work rather than write a thesis. Students who do not write a thesis must pass a comprehensive examination.
Total Hours		36

Note: All students must plan to take their examinations during the spring or fall semesters, even if anticipating an August graduation.